Grantham Journal letter: Police were only people who proved a point at EDL protest

English Defence League supporters march along Wharf Road, Grantham, with a large police presence.

The only people who proved a point during Grantham’s double-barrelled day of protests were the police.

They demonstrated that, given adequate manpower and financial resources, they can deal efficiently and in an understanding manner with any problems that might arise on the town’s streets.

However, that is not the case on normal days in Grantham, due to the Government’s trumped-up austerity con and the failings of the Lincolnshire Police to put ‘Bobbies-on-the-beat’.

As it turned out on Saturday, major problems didn’t materialise. The much-maligned English Defence League’s bark proved much worse than its bite, while the passions promised by the opposing Grantham Solidarity group turned out to be a damp squid, even on a dry day.

This was undoubtedly due to the sensible policing methods of officers drafted in from faraway places like Nottingham and Derby, assisted by what I like to call ‘the Grantham syndrome’ dampening effect on all events which threaten to liven up our Gingerbread lives.

Whatever the reason, there are the usual Grantham ‘do-no gooders’ who will simply berate it as a colossal waste of money which should never have been allowed.

But, then again, they never did believe in the free speech for which our forefathers gave their lives over so many years.